What is Piperazine?
The chemical structure of piperazine is C4H10N2. It is the organic compound, which is consist of six membrane ring with the presence of two opposite nitrogen atom. Piperazine is an anthelmintic drug and they are mainly used for the treatment of intestinal roundworm infections in domestic animals and human beings and also can treat pinworm infections in human beings.
The physician usually suggests piperazine citrate for treating disease. The intake of piperazine will act on the worms and they are paralyzed and eliminated through the stool.
Chemical Structure of Piperazine
Piperazine can be freely soluble in ethylene glycol and water. But they remain insoluble in diethyl ether. Piperazine is a weak base component, which has two pKbs of 5.35 and 9.73 at 25 °C. The 10% of piperazine present in the aqueous solution will have a pH between 10.8–11.8. Piperazine can absorb carbon dioxide and water from the air. Many piperazines are occurring in nature in various forms. Also, piperazine can synthesize by reacting alcoholic ammonia with 1,2-dichloroethane or by the action of ethylene glycol and sodium on ethylene diamine hydrochloride or by reducing pyrazine with the presence of sodium in ethanol.
A form of piperazine is commonly available in industries in the form of hexahydrate C4H10N2. 6H2O. The piperazine used in industries has a melting point of 44°C and it can boil at 125–130°C.
Usually, piperazine is available in the form of two common salts. The piperazine citrate uses are predominant for pharmaceutical and veterinary purposes. The chemical structure of citrate of piperazine is 3C4H10N2.2C6H8O7. Citrate contains 3 molecules of piperazine to 2 molecules of citric acid. The chemical structure of adipate is C4H10N2.C6H10O4. Adipate contains 1 molecule of piperazine and adipic acid.
Piperazine can synthesize with the co-product of the ammoniation of 1,2-dichloroethane or ethanolamine. These are the only routes for the using in commercial industries. The piperazine are usually separated from the product stream, which contains, ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, and other related cyclic and linear chemicals
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Piperazine Uses in Medicine Field
Piperazine belongs to the anthelmintics medicine family. These anthelmintics medicines are mainly used for the treatment of worm infections. These include the infections caused by common roundworms like ascariasis and pinworms like enterobiasis and oxyuriasis. When the piperazine enters the human body, it starts work to paralyze the worms and it will dispose of in the stool. The dosage of piperazine should be determined by the physician.
Side Effects Due to Piperazine Citrate Uses
The prolonged piperazine citrate uses can create some side effects. Some serious illnesses may need some medical attention. At the initial stage, the piperazine uses creates illness like blurring of vision, crawling or tingling feeling of the skin, clumsiness, fever, joints pain, irregular, twisting movement in the face, legs, and arms, skin rashes, or itching. In the advanced stage, it causes stomach or abdominal cramps or pain, dizziness, headache, muscle weakness, tremors, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness..etc. People may experience these side effects during the treatment or after the completion of treatment.
Other Uses of Piperazine
Piperazines are widely used for the manufacture of plastics, pesticides, resins, brake fluid, and other industrial materials. Piperazine is also used as the fluid for H2S and CO2 scrubbing in addition to methyl diethanolamine
Piperazine in Carbon Capture and Storage
Amine blends are activated by concentrated piperazine and are extensively used for the removal of CO2 for carbon capture and storage (CCS). This piperazine allows for protection from significant thermal and oxidative degradation at typical coal flue gas conditions. The thermal degradation for piperazine and methyl diethanolamine (MDEA) is negligible. This increased stability of MDEA/PZ solvent blend over the MDEA and other amine solvents will provide greater capacity and requires minimum work to capture CO2.
The solubility of piperazine is low. So, a relatively small amount is used to supplement other amine solvents. The performance of one or more piperazines is often compromised due to their low concentration. The addition of piperazine to amine gas is treating solvents and it shows, CO2 absorption, heat absorption, and solvent capacity have increased. These will give typical amine-based absorption processes, which run at temperatures from 45 °C to 55 °C. As the capability of piperazine is within this limit, it supports carbon capture. The piperazine can thermally regenerate with the help of multi-stage flash distillation and other methods, which has operating temperatures up to 150 °C, also it can be recycled back in the absorption process by providing high energy during amine gas treating processes.
The main advantage of using concentrated piperazine (CPZ) is its additive process. The uses of concentrated piperazine are more reactive and thermally stable in the standard MEA solutions. They are cost-efficient and can regenerate at high temperatures.
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FAQs on Piperazine
1. What is piperazine and what are its primary uses in biology?
Piperazine is an organic compound with the chemical formula C₄H₁₀N₂. It is a six-membered heterocyclic ring containing two nitrogen atoms at opposite (para) positions. In biology and medicine, it is primarily known as an anthelmintic drug. Its main uses include:
- Treating intestinal worm infections caused by common roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides).
- Eradicating pinworm infections (Enterobius vermicularis).
- Use in veterinary medicine to deworm domestic animals and poultry.
2. How does piperazine work to treat worm infections?
Piperazine does not kill the parasitic worms directly. Instead, it works by blocking the worms' neuromuscular transmission. It acts as an agonist on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors of the worm's muscle cells. This causes hyperpolarization of the muscle membrane, leading to a state of flaccid paralysis. Unable to maintain their grip on the intestinal wall, the paralysed worms are then expelled from the host's body through natural bowel movements (peristalsis).
3. Is piperazine an antibiotic? Explain the key difference.
No, piperazine is not an antibiotic. It is an anthelmintic agent. The key difference lies in their target organisms:
- Anthelmintics, like piperazine, are designed to act against parasitic worms (helminths).
- Antibiotics are designed to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.
4. What are the common side effects associated with piperazine use?
When used as prescribed, piperazine is generally safe, but some side effects can occur. These are typically mild and may include:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhoea
- Dizziness or headache
5. Why is piperazine often administered as a salt, such as piperazine citrate?
Piperazine is a weak base and can be poorly soluble and potentially irritating in its pure form. Converting it into a salt, such as piperazine citrate or adipate, offers several pharmaceutical advantages. This process improves its:
- Stability: The salt form is more stable for storage and formulation.
- Solubility: It dissolves more easily in water, which is crucial for creating liquid syrups.
- Palatability: The salt form is less bitter, making it easier for patients, especially children, to take.
6. What is the chemical structure of piperazine?
The chemical structure of piperazine is a six-membered ring composed of four carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms. The nitrogen atoms are located at opposite ends of the ring, in what is known as the 'para' position. Its chemical formula is C₄H₁₀N₂, and it is classified as a heterocyclic amine. This ring structure is the core component of many different types of drugs.
7. Beyond medicine, what is an important industrial application of piperazine?
A major industrial application of piperazine is in carbon capture and storage (CCS). It is used as a highly effective solvent for scrubbing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial flue gases. Concentrated piperazine solutions are more reactive and thermally stable than other amines, allowing for efficient CO₂ absorption. This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other industrial facilities.
